This application proposes a five-year research program for the Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (KOI) from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism for Marlon P. Mundt, Ph.D. The objective of this proposal is to provide the Principle Investigator the training necessary to conduct a multidisciplinary study on the economic impact of adolescent alcohol use and social networks on labor market, health and crime outcomes. The proposed career development plan will enable the Candidate to (1) build a strong research foundation in health economic evaluation of alcohol services, social network analysis and clinical aspects of alcohol treatment; (2) engage in research ethics training; and (3) enhance grant writing, technical presentation, and publication skills. The mentor, Dr. Michael Fleming, and an outstanding team of consultants, Drs. Michael French, John Mullahy, Constance Weisner, and James Montgomery, will be fundamental to the Candidate's development into an independent alcohol researcher. The empirical analysis will use the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to determine the relationship between adolescent alcohol use, social networks and economic outcomes in labor markets, health care utilization and criminal activity. The main products of this Mentored Research Scientist Development Award (KOI) will be (1) an innovative multidisciplinary economic evaluation of adolescent alcohol use undertaken from a social networks perspective; (2) advanced econometric, social network and clinical alcohol training for Dr. Mundt; (3) conference presentations on alcohol research findings; (4) several publications in peer-reviewed journals; and (5) development of ROI applications to support an independently funded alcohol research agenda. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The training and research experience gained during the Mentored Scientist Research Development Award(K01) will give Dr. Mundt the skills he requires to conduct novel, policy-relevant economic evaluations of alcohol services in the future as an independent investigator.